Heretofore in the operation of vacuum cleaners such as in homes and in offices, present vacuum cleaners available on the market are not readily effective for picking up objects as pins, staples, paper clips, hairpins or other metallic objects which tend to collect upon the floor. Such metallic items including nails often are embedded down into the nap of the carpet on the floor surface and in many situations are not subjected to the conventional suction of the vacuum cleaner.